title: Left atrial myxomas: correlation of two-dimensional and live three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography with the clinical and pathologic findings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although transthoracic echocardiography and two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) identify cardiac myxomas with high sensitivity, anatomic and morphologic information is often incomplete. Real-time three-dimensional (3D) TEE is increasingly being used in general clinical practice. However, the use of real-time 3D TEE for the assessment of atrial myxomas has not been described.
  
  
  METHODS
  This case series of 10 patients with left atrial myxomas undergoing two-dimensional and real-time 3D TEE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Correlative pathologic findings demonstrate that 3D imaging accurately identifies these tumors and provides detailed morphologic description of the tumors, which may have clinical importance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because the 3D TEE is real time and can be performed preoperatively in the operating room, the surgeon may gain a better understanding of the nature and location of the tumor.
authors.affiliation: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Heart Institute, 8700 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA. tolstrupk@cshs.org
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tolstrup
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shiota
authors.forename: Swaminatha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gurudevan
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Luthringer
authors.forename: Huai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Siegel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009232:Myxoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed